The inspiration for my painting has always come from the rhythms of nature, from the color and light of the natural world.  Much of my work explores the extraordinary light and landscape of New Mexico, particularly its grand expanses of land and sky. I use color to amplify the life force that I feel in nature.

I am also interested in the more intimate, tended landscapes of farms and gardens. Among my frequent subjects are the farmers of the middle Rio Grande Valley, and gardeners at work wherever I may find them. I am interested in the figure as a part of the landscape, and humankind in harmony with nature. The gardeners’ labors are cyclical and meditative, reflecting care, constancy, and reverence for the land. A related body of paintings focuses on the harvest from local organic farms and my own garden.

As an ardent naturalist and birder, I have traveled throughout the Americas, Australia, and Africa, recording my observations in plein air watercolors. The watercolors and photos often become source material for bird paintings developed back in the studio.

I grew up in Southern California and studied art at Brown University, the Rhode Island School of Design, and Wesleyan University. I taught art for many wonderful years, and I live in the village of Los Ranchos de Albuquerque, where I share a studio with my wife, artist Cynthia Wister. See cynthiawister.com

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